c




 

One of the major issues to consider when deciding how to feed your baby is the quality of the food itself.
Perhaps you've heard that breastfed babies get hungry sooner than bottle-fed babies. Does that mean
formula sustains babies better than breast milk? Maybe you've read that formula contains more protein
than breast milk. Does that mean your milk is somehow deficient?

 




You may remember the old nursery rhyme about Little Miss Muffet, sitting on a tuffet, eating her curds
and whey. Looking at curds and whey is a good place to start as you examine the differences between
breast milk and formula.

Most baby formulas are derived from cow's milk (although dairy-free formulas are also available). When
milk ² from the breast or from a cow ² is digested, it breaks down into two byproducts: curds and
whey. The R
 is white and rubbery, and the  is liquid.

When cow's milk breaks down, the curd that forms is hard for human babies to digest. Breast milk, on the
other hand, forms more whey than curd, and the curd is softer and more easily digested. Because the baby
can digest breast milk more easily than cow's milk, he's less likely to decorate your favorite sweater with
spit-up.

Formula makers are striving to make their formulas contain more whey and less curd, so they can be
digested more like breast milk. Some formulas, like Nutramigen and Alimentum, are made of 
 

protein, which is already broken down, so they are more easily digested than standard cow's milk or soy
formulas. In all cases, breast milk is still the gold standard that formula companies are continually trying
to match!

c



 

Formula and breast milk look very different; formula is creamier and looks richer than breast milk. This
may lead you to believe that formula is more nutritious for your baby, but that's not the case.

One of the amazing things about breast milk is that 
milk is specially formulated to have the right
composition for 
baby, and to contain exactly the right amounts of nutrients. Bottle-fed babies receive
the exact same nutrients every time they eat. Breast milk, on the other hand, continually changes in
composition so that your baby gets what he or she needs at any age.

c   



The first liquid the breasts produce (starting a few months before the baby is born) actually doesn't even
look like milk. c
 which is yellow and thicker than breast milk, is a great example of how your
body custom-makes the right p

p for your baby. Here are some of its benefits:

—V colostrum has a high concentration of antibodies, especially £
 an antibody that helps protect
the lungs, throat, and intestines.

—V colostrum helps "seal" the permeable newborn intestines to prevent harmful substances from
penetrating the gut.
 —V colostrum is very high in concentrated nutrition.

—V colostrum has a laxative effect, which helps the baby pass the first bowel movements (and
prevents newborn jaundice).

—V colostrum is low in fat, high in proteins and carbohydrates, and very easy to digest.

Within a few days after delivery, your body begins to produce mature milk that takes over the work of
giving your baby the necessary ingredients for healthy growth. colostrum is still present for around two
weeks; the milk produced during this time is called 
 milk.

c


Breast milk contains more than 100 ingredients that the formula industry simply can't duplicate. For
example, breast milk is full of antibodies that protect babies from illness and help them develop their own
immune systems. Some other key differences between the ingredients in breast milk and formula include
the following:

—V Formula has a higher protein content than human milk. However, the protein in breast milk is
more easily and completely digested by babies.

—V Breast milk has a higher carbohydrate content than formula and has large amounts of R a
sugar found in lower amounts in cow's milk. Research shows that animals whose milk contains
higher amounts of lactose experience larger brain development.

—V Minerals such as iron are present in lower quantities in breast milk than in formula. However, the
minerals in breast milk are more completely absorbed by the baby. In formula-fed babies, the
unabsorbed portions of minerals can change the balance of bacteria in the gut, which gives
harmful bacteria a chance to grow. This is one reason why bottle-fed babies generally have harder
and more odorous stools than breastfed babies.

r

  
    

 

 
      


    
  
 
     
 
 


    

! 



   





  "

  
"
 
  
#$   
     

 %   
&! 

"


# 
 
 &
 
 
 

   
  
 


  

   


 



 "


 


 
 ! 

 



  
 
  




  


  
% 


  '

 
  "


   
  
 '  

   
 
 

%